Forests worldwide are being rapidly destroyed through deforestation but net losses of global forests have slowed since 2000 according to a new UN report.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said that more than 32 million acres of forest are destroyed by deforestation each year – a net global loss of about 0.18%.
But, it said, new planting and the natural expansion of existing forests has slowed deforestation since 2002 from 22 million to 18 million acres per year.
The report blames natural disasters and conversion to agricultural use for the majority of deforestation. The highest losses – 10.6 million acres – occurred in South America with Africa a close second at 9.8 million acres lost since 2000.
Asia has reported the highest forest growth, with net gains of 2.47 million acres of forest land attributed to China replanting.
However, China has also been accused by Greenpeace of being by far the largest importer of rainforest destruction in the world.
The FOA said the report was the most exhaustive of its kind, compiling 15 years of data from 229 countries. A full report is due to be released in January next year.
